Meg pretended to fix a button on her blouse.
“Meg, it’s your turn,” Claire said.
She carefully selected a block and slid it with slow precision from the tower.
“What is it?” Allie asked.
She read the block then selected her three roommates and the girl who had served her the volleyball the day before to now refer to her only as Queen Meg.
The best part of her day was the stiff margarita she had with dinner. The girls who were sober enough to make it to the restaurant went back to the bar afterward and found the same Marines they had been flirting with the night before. Avril got wasted and passed out on a barstool. Meg graciously offered to put her to bed. It was the perfect excuse to get out of there, and she could go to bed too. Sleeping through the rest of the trip sounded like the best way to deal with them.
However, getting Avril back to the room was difficult. She had to balance her, and Avril’s head kept rolling over onto Meg’s shoulder. Meg was much smaller than Avril and dealing with her weight slowed them down a bit.
“Thanks for sporting me, Queen Meg,” she slurred.
Putting her to bed was much easier. Avril face-planted on the comforter and was out within two minutes.
Meg was just drifting off to sleep when she heard a gentle thud on the balcony, like a shoe dropping from the edge of the bed. She figured it was the wind and closed her eyes. The same thud again. She sat up and waited. Silence. Just as she began to lie down again she heard it. Soft, but definitely something. Her first thought was that someone was breaking in. Quickly she went to the door, pulled back the curtain a mere inch and peeked outside. The moon cast a dim shadow over the patio furniture and she watched as something sailed over the railing of their balcony and landed right next to the sliding door. It was a tiny package of Chiclets. The gum was sold by homeless people on every street corner in Mexico. One could buy a box of two hundred rainbow-colored packets for less than three dollars if they had the right bargaining skills. As a child she’d thought of Mexico as a sacred place. It was the capital of cheap, fruit-flavored gum.
Who the hell was throwing gum on their balcony? What if it was the salsa-complected Marine from Alabama that Avril had been eyeing all night? She debated calling hotel security. Then she decided she’d get rid of the little Romeo herself. She slid the door open, thinking of what she would say.
Oh, you’re here for Avril? She’s passed out. Quite a lightweight. She’d be more than happy to tell him to leave. Something small and pink soared over the railing, and she ducked to avoid being hit. “Don’t throw,” she called as she slowly peered over the ledge. “Mason?”
“Hey.” He smiled. Her first thought was that she needed to find out what brand of teeth-whitening strips he used. His smile glowed like something from the aerospace museum in Balboa Park. Then she realized it wasn’t because his teeth were bleached. It was because his face was so dirty. “What are you doing?”
“Shhh!” He held a finger to his lips. “Don’t let anyone know I’m here. I snuck away to see you.”
She felt like clapping her hands with glee and doing the Macarena right there on the patio. “How did you sneak away from the guys?”
“I managed. Come down here.”
It didn’t take much convincing. “Coming.”
He was sprawled out on a lounge chair when she found him. Dusty black streaks covered his face and clothes. When he stood up to hug her a few packets of gum fell from his pockets. He smelled like a Ball Park frank peppered with beer, suntan lotion and a little body odor. “What’s all over your face?” she asked.
“Probably charcoal. I helped keep the fire going tonight, and I’ve barbecued like ten hot dogs.”
He kissed her and she didn’t care if she looked like a coal miner too. She loved the feeling of his face next to hers.
“What’s with the gum?” she asked.
He looked at the little packets on the ground. “I bought a whole stash from some guy with like ten kids on the beach. I think I cleaned him out. Made their whole month.”
She wanted to elope. Not only was it great to be with him again, but he’d also changed. The old Mason would’ve tossed a nickel at the man and told him to take his gum to some other campers.
“I’ve been thinking about you all weekend,” he said softly before taking her face in his hands. “You still feel the same way every time I touch you. I miss you. So much, Meg. You have no idea.”
Every nerve in her body came alive with happiness. She no longer felt irritated with all the L.A. girls. These were the words she’d been waiting to hear. This made the whole weekend wonderful.
They sat down on the lounge chair and kissed again. “I couldn’t imagine making the trip all the way down here and not seeing you when you were only a few minutes away.”
“That’s exactly how I felt all weekend. I’m so glad you came,” Meg said.
“I want you to come to San Francisco and stay with me next weekend.”
She felt her heart plunge. “I can’t. It’s the weekend of the couple’s shower.” Her life could be summed up in four simple words. Claire and Ben’s Wedding. “It seems like this whole month is pretty much booked with wedding events.”
“I know. Tell me about it. I would come to the couple’s shower, but I just can’t take the time to be traveling back and forth the whole month. Why don’t you come the following weekend? I’ll pay for your ticket.”
“Okay.”
They kissed again and he pulled her into his arms. They lay on the lounge chair for a while, the scent of salt water climbing over the cliff top, and the brilliant glow of millions of tiny stars above them. “I’ve been thinking a lot,” he said.
“About what?”
“About us.” He kissed her forehead. “I really started to convince myself that I was over you. But seeing you last weekend made me realize that I don’t know if I can be without you anymore. I’m willing to see if we can give this another chance.”
She kissed his dusty forehead. “I feel the same way.”
“There is only one Meg,” he sighed. “There is nobody else like you.”
They lay there for quite a while. She didn’t want him to leave, - wasn’t thrilled with the idea of him walking all the way to his campsite in the middle of the night. “You better start back,” she said. “Be careful.”
“I’ll be fine.” He walked her back to her room and quickly kissed her before she closed the door.
CHAPTER FOUR
The following morning she awakened to the sound of a blaring phone. All she could think about was going back to Katie and her bed with her clean jersey-knit sheets and abundance of throw pillows. She’d call Mason, then eat graham crackers and Cool Whip
D3in bed, cuddled up to her pup, in front of Fried Green Tomatoes and she wouldn’t have to deal with these people again until the wedding, and by that point she’d be officially back together with Mason and spending all her time with him anyway, so—
Her fantasy was interrupted when Sagie answered the phone. “Yeah, that sounds great. I’d totally be down with staying till tonight. I’ve got nothing to do. I’m sure everyone else feels the same way. Volleyball? Of course. Count me in.”
God, why?
Meg wondered why she hadn’t thought of throwing their volleyball into the Pacific while they all slept the night before.
After Sagie hung up she turned to the group. “That was Joss and she wants to know if anyone is up for volleyball. I guess - they’ve all decided to stay today since the sun is out. They’re going to drive home later.”
This wasn’t exactly the way she wanted to wake up, but she was so happy about her rendezvous with Mason and her upcoming trip to San Francisco that she didn’t care. She should’ve brought her own car, so she wasn’t at their mercy. She would just skip volleyball. She didn’t care if she was a poor sport.
“I’m sooo hungover,” Avril moaned. She sat up and Meg noticed that one of her eyebrows was gone. It must’ve rubb
ed off on her pillow. Unibrow now had a new meaning. “There is no way I can play. I don’t even think I can get out of bed.”
Even though Meg could think of a million other people she’d rather hang out with than Unibrow, she was glad that Avril nixed volleyball. She didn’t want to be the only one. Meg’s plan was to head to the pool, and remain there until it was time to go. If anyone wanted to join her, fine. She was in the bathroom, nude on the bottom and tying the straps of her string bikini when the phone rang again. She heard Sagie’s voice. “Hey, Claire. Oh. Okay. I’ll ask. Hold on. It’s Claire and she said one of Ben’s friends is here because he’s driving back to San Diego and has an empty car and wants to know if anyone wants to ride with him.”
Meg almost ran into the room nude. She accidentally knocked the towel rack from its mount when she yanked a towel down to cover her body. If this person had offered a ride to San Diego on the handlebars of his bicycle she probably would’ve accepted. “Tell him I’ll be down in five minutes,” she yelled.
She looked for something to wear and realized that she hadn’t packed well. Since the weather had been so crappy she’d been layering her clothes to keep warm. She was going to have to wear something semidirty. She grabbed the shirt from the night before. She’d only worn it for a couple hours, and figured it was probably the cleanest thing she had.
“Later,” Sagie said as she passed Meg.
“’Bye, you guys.” Meg smiled. “Have fun playing volleyball.” They were just outside the door when she remembered that the room was in her name, under her credit card. She needed to collect the cash from the girls and check out.
“Oh, hey you guys, I hate to be a pain. I know it’s early but do you think you could all pay me for the room now because I’m leaving and I need to make sure they don’t charge my card.”
“I’m so hungover,” Avril groaned.
“Can you hand me my wallet?” Cynthia asked from the doorway. “It’s on top of the TV.”
“Sure. My wallet is in Claire’s room,” Sagie said. “Can you stop by there on the way out?”
“Not a problem.”
Cynthia opened her wallet and began to count through some bills. “Oh shit. I only have seventy-five and the room is eighty, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, can I just pay you the other five next time I see you?”
The only other time Meg would see her would be at the wedding. Something told her Cynthia wasn’t going to remember five dollars. But what was she supposed to do? Be the stingy, uncool bridesmaid who interrupted volleyball to send Cynthia to the ATM for five dollars? It was only five dollars, she told herself. If losing a little money meant leaving earlier, it was a good deal. “It’s fine. Just pay me next time you see me.”
“I’m dying,” Avril breathed as soon as they were gone.
“I know. I’m sorry. It’s just that I need to make sure my card - isn’t charged. Here. I’ll tell you what. I’ll go check out and then I’ll come back to get my luggage and you can pay me then. How does that sound? That way you don’t have to walk to your wallet right this second.”
“It’s okay.” She sounded annoyed. “Just hand me my wallet. It’s in my jeans.”
Meg rummaged through a mountain of clothes next to Avril’s suitcase before she found the wallet. “Here you go.”
She sounded annoyed when she opened it. “I have eighty dollars exactly, which means I’ll have to go to the ATM if I want to eat today.”
What did she look like? A giant ten-percent-off coupon? Avril was going to fork over the cash, even if she had to walk to Venezuela for lunch money. “Here,” she snapped before thrusting the cash at Meg and rolling over onto her side.
She quickly headed to the lobby. Bill was standing outside.
“Hey!” he said as soon as he noticed her. “You riding back with me?”
“Yes!” After spending the past seventy-two hours with The Bitch Squad she couldn’t have been happier to see his friendly face.
“Awesome.” He looked as if he had been camping, hair thick with grease and dirt beneath his fingernails. “My car is kind of a mess with sleeping bags and whatnot, but I’ll make some room for you.”
“I don’t mind a little mess,” she said. “But do you mind if I run to Claire’s room really quick? I need to grab something.”
“No. Not at all.”
He followed her to the suite. Only two girls sat in the room, still gearing up for a day of beach sports. Sagie was nowhere to be found. “Hi, is Sagie here?” Meg said.
“No, she already went to play volleyball. What’s on your shirt?” Allie asked.
She glanced down at her white cotton top. It looked clean to her. “What do you mean? Where?”
“On the sleeve.” Cassie pointed.
She looked at her sleeve and noticed a big brown blotch. She immediately thought of Mason and his dirty face, but she hadn’t worn this shirt when she saw him. Then she remembered Avril, her big, heavy head leaning on her for support. She was wearing Avril’s eyebrow on her sleeve. “It’s just a little makeup,” she said, covering her disgust. What if she had been making out with a guy and her eyebrows ended up on his face?
At any rate, she had eighty dollars to collect. If she had to go call time-out to collect the money, she would. “I’m sorry, Bill. But I have to collect for the room because it’s under my name.”
“No problem. I’ll tell you what, I had to park kind of far so I’ll pull up to the front of the hotel while you’re doing that.”
“Thanks.”
She found them grunting and baring their teeth like animals while they slammed the ball back and forth. For some strange reason, they looked even taller and more ominous than before. She felt like a nerd doing the hand signal for time-out, so she decided to wait for one of them to whack the ball out of bounds. The moment came sooner than she thought as the ball went hurling over her head. “Uh, Sagie,” she called. “I’m getting ready to leave.”
“Oh,” Sagie said as she caught the ball. “I looked in my wallet. I don’t even have one dollar right now. So, do you think you could wait until I go to town later? Or I can pay you at the wedding.”
“No, I can’t wait. Bill’s waiting for me.” Her tone was agitated, but she didn’t care. Again, she had a bad feeling she would never see the money. “Just pay me at the wedding. Eighty dollars. Thanks.”
When she checked out there was a fifty-dollar phone tab on the bill. “Fifty dollars? What’s this for? We didn’t use the phone.”
The desk clerk pointed to three long-distance phone calls to Los Angeles and Meg instantly remembered Sagie talking on the phone.
She paid the balance with the cash received and put one hundred and thirty-five dollars on her credit card. She tried not to fume, and blamed only herself for agreeing to be the credit card martyr. She should’ve known better. Someone always got screwed in these situations. She should’ve insisted that one of them put their card down. She would’ve given them their eighty dollars, as she hadn’t irresponsibly spent all her hotel money over the weekend.
She found Bill at his Suburban, tossing a bag of hamburger buns into the backseat of his car.
“So how was the weekend?” he asked.
“Great,” she lied. “And how was camping?”
“It was a blast.” His enthusiasm made her wish she’d been with the guys all weekend.
“What did you guys do?”
“Surfed all day. Then hung around the campfire at night, or went into town for fish tacos and some drinks. It was great, really relaxing. Great group of people too.”
He handed her a CD case. “Here. Pick out whatever you want.”
She thumbed through his CDs. He had good taste in music, a lot of classics like Elton John and Marvin Gaye, but also some new ones. She selected Jet’s CD. They listened to the music and she felt so comfortable in his car that she could’ve propped her feet up on the dashboard and sung along to “Are You Gonna Be My Girl.”
“
You hungry?” he asked as they passed signs for Puerto Nuevo.
She wanted to get home to Katie, but she was hungry and enjoying this part of the trip so much that she could be up for stopping in the lobster capital of the Baja peninsula. Except for Mason’s surprise appearance the night before, she was having the best time she’d had all weekend—plus, how often did she get the opportunity to eat a lobster meal for ten dollars?
They pulled into the tiny village. The cobblestone streets were covered in thick, rust-colored dust, and weeds sprouted between the stones. Tons of vendors lined the sidewalk, selling everything from silver jewelry to piñatas. It was crowded in Puerto Nuevo, mostly because of all the San Diegans who crossed the border on the weekends to come to the rustic Mexican town for cheap lobster.
After parking they walked to a three-story building painted orange with white trim. Inside, a hostess wearing a ruffled shirt and matching full skirt took two menus. “You want to sit up?” She pointed to the staircase.
They followed her up a dark, winding, tiled staircase that reminded Meg of the inside of a lighthouse. They took a seat right next to the window. Beyond the decrepit rooftops below rose a jagged cliff. She could see the never-ending line of the horizon. The sun was bright and felt hot against her face and shoulders, and the ocean appeared bronze with gold-crested waves. She ordered one lobster tail with rice, beans and flour tortillas. He ordered two tails and the same side dishes.
The food was delicious and she was more than glad they had decided to stop. She dipped each piece of warm salty lobster into a bowl of melted butter that they shared. They chatted about their weekends and she wondered if he had spent much time with Mason. They didn’t seem like two people who would have much in common. Mason didn’t surf and he would’ve never allowed his car to get as sandy as Bill did.
He told her about his family. Meg only had one sister, and she always felt a little envious of people who came from giant-size families like Bill. He had five siblings and was in the middle.
She went to the bathroom and when she returned he had paid for their meal. As they left the restaurant he refused to take her money.
Catch of the Day Page 27
